“It never occurred to me,” said the first ant; “but now you mention it, perhaps I might.”
And then the first ant thought and thought, and the end of it was that she slipped out of the town so soon as her day’s work was finished and strolled away toward the town where the robber ants lived.
And presently a fierce old soldier-ant came marching out at the gate.
Then the little worker’s heart beat very fast, and she turned as pale as an ant can turn.
“‘Nothing venture, nothing win,’” she said to herself, and walked straight up to the soldier.
“Hallo! Who are you?” said the soldier.
“Oh, I’m a neighbor of yours, from Beechtown,” said the little ant. “I’m just taking a stroll before supper.”
“A stroll before supper!” cried the soldier, staring very hard. “You don’t seem to have much work to do over there.”
“Why, no, I can’t say I have,” said the little ant.
“But I can see by your dress you’re a servant,” said the soldier-woman.